Ponca City Board Of Commissioners Meeting

The Ponca City Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, September 23.

Consent Agenda

Under the consent agenda, the Commissioners voted to approve a resolution appointing Keri Bartley to the Historic Preservation Advisory Panel and Calvin Golliver to the Marland Estate Commission.

The Commissioners also voted to approve a contract in the amount of $85,686 between the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the City of Ponca City for the FY 2 0 13 Community Development Block Grant Small Cities Program .

Reports

Under Commission Comments, the Mayor thanked the Historic Preservation Advisory Panel and Ponca City Main Street Authority for hosting a reception prior to the City Commission meeting in celebration of Ponca City’s 120^th birthday.

Assistant City Manager Tana McKinley reminded everyone that the 20^th Annual Standing Bear Pow Wow will be held Friday, September 27 starting at 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 28 starting at 1:00 p.m. and that the 30^th Annual Oktoberfest will be held on the grounds of the Marland Estate on Saturday, October 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Commission received a report from Finance Director Marc LaBossiere summarizing the unaudited financial operating budget and results for all funds for the fourth quarter ended June 30,2013.

Main Street Director Jayne Dette n provided a report on numerous Main Street Activities.

New Business

The Commission voted under new business to approve a resolution of the City of Ponca City requesting Ponca City’s elected representatives’ best efforts in ensuring passage of HB 1875 during the 2014 state of Oklahoma legislative session.

This resolution addresses an issue that municipalities have worked on for almost two years. A task force of various municipal officials in the state, mainly Finance Directors, met regularly with staff of the Oklahoma Tax Commission to evaluate the fee charged municipalities for the collection of sales and use taxes. It currently is 1% of the sales and use tax collected, which is taken prior to remitting to the respective municipalities. This task force and Tax Commission staff came to the conclusion that the Tax Commission was over charging municipalities for the collection of these tax revenues. The rate, in fact, was double the Tax Commission’s cost of performing this function. The more accurate rate for this work is 0.5%. In Ponca City’s case for the past fiscal year, it would have meant $70,197.16 in additional revenue to enhance services the City provides to its citizens.

This resolution asks that Ponca City’s delegation in the Oklahoma Legislature use their best efforts to ensure passage of HB 1875, which addresses this overcharging of municipalities for this service. It also requests that HB 1875 be taken up early in the 2014 Legislative Session, so they can address how to make up this short fall to the Tax Commission. HB 1875 actually provides a resolution to this issue by allowing the Oklahoma Tax Commission to charge the State 0.4% of the state sales and use tax collected.

The Commission also voted under new business to approve the purchase of four Chevrolet Tahoe police patrol Sport Utility Vehicles in the amount of $117,352 from the Hudiburg Auto Group.